Leone (Rogers) Reynolds

Funeral services for Leone Reynolds, 95, of Portales, will be 10:00 AM, Wed., Sept. 23, 2020 at the University Baptist Church with Rev. Steve Smith officiating, assisted by Timothy Smith.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Glen McAfee, Gene Bundy, Tommy Kent, Don Keneipp, David Moon, Mike Madden, John King and Lance Hill serving as pallbearers.  All her many friends will serve as honorary pallbearers.  Memorial contributions may be made to the New Mexico Baptist Children's Home, P O Box 629, Portales, NM 88130 or to the Gideon's International.  The family will receive guests at the funeral home on Tues. evening from 6 to 8 PM.

Leone Reynolds was born July 31, 1925 in Dickens County, TX to the home of Nona Leone (Battle) and Riley Elmer Rogers, and died Sept. 19, 2020 in Albuquerque.  Mrs. Reynolds grew up in Dickens County, and graduated from Patton Springs High School in 1941.  On Sept. 9, 1941 at the Dickens County Courthouse she was married to George Reynolds, who was on leave from the Army.  They moved to El Paso, and while living there, Leone worked at Mountain Bell Telephone.  When he was sent overseas, Leone joined her family who were living in Dora, NM.  When he returned from his duty, she rejoined him in El Paso.  Upon his discharge, they came to Roosevelt County and farmed south of Portales.  For the first few years she was a stay at home mom.  Eventually she went to work in the school cafeterias, first at Lindsey Elementary, and later later at L. L. Brown.  Eventually, she went back to work for Mountain Bell, where she worked until the Portales office closed.  Her last place of employment was at the University Library where she was a Special Collections Librarian until her retirement in 1989.  Even after retiring, she returned as a volunteer for several more years.

Leone was a very active member of the University Baptist Church where she taught nearly every age group at one time or another, teaching Sunday School classes, as well as Vacation Bible School.  She was very active in mission work, and was a faithful member of the Gideons Auxiliary.  Leone enjoyed gardening, but her main interest was always in helping others, especially in their Christian walk.

She is survived by three daughters and two sons-in-law, Faith Gaudern of Albuquerque, Janie and Roger Wise of Alexandria, LA and Alica and Tom Norvell of Sacrameno, CA; six grandchildren, Robert Lee Gaudern, Christopher Allen (Loretta) Gaudern, Tommy (Dawn) Norvell, Carey Norvell, Arledge (Michael) Smith and Anna (Jason) Suter; and 19 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers, Riley, Marvin, Jimmy and Dale Rogers, four sisters, Clema Phillips, Avis Lewis, Ina Littlefield and Betty Rowland, a son-in-law, Eugene Gaudern, a grandson, Daron Gaudern, and by her husband, George Reynolds, who died Dec. 24, 2010 after more than 69 years of marriage.

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